flirting 101
by AGENT Kuma-chan
Summary: Sylvain didn't know what to make of this stranger Archer who claimed to come from another world or to know nothing of Fódlan. But Niles was injured and that he did know how to handle.


**Title: **flirting 101

**Prompt:** Niles & Sylvain, Niles/Corrin, Sylvain/Felix, some light flirting between the two

**A/N:** For Maddi, who wanted something with these two incorrigible flirts. This was wayyy more fun to write than I realized.

**Summary:** _Sylvain didn't know what to make of this stranger Archer who claimed to come from another world or to know nothing of __F__ó__dlan. But Niles was injured and that he did know how to handle._

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"Hello!" Sylvain greeted loudly, poking his head into the dimly lit stables. No one replied and he quickly stepped in. Holding a hastily wrapped package in one hand, he closed the barn doors with his other hand. It wouldn't stop anyone from coming in, but it'd at least serve as a warning. Slowly walking forward, he scanned the dark hallways for anyone. He'd timed it so everyone'd be at dinner, but there was always the chance of the odd knight or late student. "Anyone here?"

"If you want to yell so loudly, there are far better ways to go about it," drawled a smooth voice from his right. Stepping out of the shadows, a grey-haired man with an eyepatch shot him a smirk.

"Niles!" Sylvain fought down a blush as Niles smiled suggestively—he was used to being on the giving end of innuendos, to be the one flirting and not flirted with. It made him feel off-kilter every time they spoke and he felt himself turning more and more into Ingrid with every meeting. By the time Niles finally left, Sylvain was going to turn into a prude. He glanced around once more—good, it seemed like they were alone.

"Don't worry, no one'll see." Niles paused, as though a thought just hit him. His smirk grew wider as he cocked his head, his other hand loosening his tie. "Unless you like being watched?"

His ears burned and Sylvain resisted the urge to glare. Suddenly, he understood how Felix felt every time they went on a date and he didn't want to agree with Felix on this. "I don't need to know your kinks."

"That's far too tame to be one of mine." Shrugging, Niles nonchalantly reached for the package tucked under Sylvain's arms. He shifted the large bundle in his hands. "It's barely warm."

"I can always warm you up," Sylvain teased, and oh it felt good to finally get a shot in, to see Niles blink in surprise. This was his element, he should never have forgotten that. "I didn't bring dessert, after all."

Niles stared at him for a long second. The straw cracked beneath his feet as he shifted his weight, considering Sylvain. Finally, he smiled seductively, taking a step forward. "Dessert, huh?"

Sylvain took a step back instinctively and shit. He shouldn't have shown weakness. Too late, he realized it was a terrible idea to goad Niles. For every step he took back, Niles took another forward, the gap between them remaining the same. His back thudded as he hit a stall. "I…"

"You?" Niles purred, stepping forward. He was close, too close, one hand on stall next to Sylvain's shoulder, the other next to his hair. Trapping him, Niles leaned next to his head, his hot breath warming the shell of his ear. "Maybe next time."

Then just as quickly he stepped back, his attention completely on the food.

It was just as well. Sylvain shivered, the sensation lingering on his skin. He had always been flirty, it was like breathing to him, but there was a difference between that and being seductive. Maybe he should take notes—if this made his knees wobble, he was pretty sure he could make Felix collapse from this. He smiled at the thought of his uptight boyfriend. If there was a way to force Felix's attention away from his sword and onto him, this was it.

"Thinking of…what was his name?" Niles chewed his chicken sandwich thoughtfully. He licked his fingers slowly as he guessed, "Feline?"

"Felix," Sylvain corrected with a laugh. "Though maybe I should call him that one day, just to see his reaction."

"Oh, absolutely." Niles chuckled before wincing. His left hand crossed his torso and rubbed his right shoulder.

"Still hurts?" Sylvain crouched down, concerned.

"A tad tender." With a wry smile, he waved off Sylvain's worried hands. "As nice as your touch is, I don't need it right now. A night's sleep will probably take care of it."

"And here I thought you'd never refuse my hands." Sylvain frowned, worry still pooling in his gut. It was true that Niles looked much better than he had when Sylvain had first found him, injured at the edge of the forest. Pale as a ghost, blood pouring off his arm, Sylvain hadn't been sure if Niles could make the trip back to the monastery. Especially since he'd insisted on no one seeing him, relying instead on Sylvain's patchy first-aid skills.

Now though, the colour was back on his skin, and if his increasingly explicit jests were anything to go by, Niles was probably fine. Probably.

Which left only one question—what to do next. Rocking back on his heels, Sylvain crossed his arms. "What did you call this place? A Deep…deep…"

"Deeprealm," Niles corrected, brushing his hands clean now that he'd finished his meal. "Another world, to put it simply."

"Right." Sylvain wasn't sure exactly how much of that he bought, but then again, he'd seen a lot of strange things since coming to the monastery. It was a bit of a stretch, but Niles didn't know anything about Fódlan and his fighting techniques matched nothing of this world, let alone his magic.

Seeing his expression, Niles laughed. "Unbelievable, I know. I didn't buy it at first. But after meeting Corrin…" He trailed off, his expression softening. It was a very un-Niles-like expression, something that Sylvain had seen often enough on lovelorn women or even his own face in the mirror.

"Corrin?" Sylvain prodded, unable to stop himself.

"My usual dessert," Niles answered coyly, but his expression was still gentle. "I wouldn't be here without him or my liege." He stared at his hand, curling it as though squeezing the memory of a hand. Longing rang in his voice as he murmured. "It's been too long since I've seen him."

It was strange to see this side of the constantly insufferable, unreadable Niles. But it was so humanising, and Sylvain reached to squeeze his hand. "We'll find your way home. I know it."

Niles stared at Sylvain's hand, then up at him. His lips parted, to say something witty, to say something teasing, but he swallowed it down instead. "Thanks," he murmured.

"Good." The moment was starting to feel a little too sappy and Sylvain pulled back before it got awkward. A bell gonged outside, the cathedral marking the time, and he stood up quickly. "I'll get going. Tomorrow's off—we can go search the forest then. I don't think anyone should be there, Professor Byleth's giving a seminar."

Niles slowly got up. "I'll meet you there." He smirked. "The woods, huh? Didn't think you were into doing it outdoors."

Sylvain silently apologized to Felix and Ingrid for all the pain he'd caused them throughout the years. It truly was insufferable.


End file.
